A Swiss International Airlines 777 that was forced by engine trouble to land in Canada’s Arctic regions is giving engineers headaches as they struggle to replace the engine in temperatures as low as -41°C.
The Feb. 1 Zurich to Los Angeles flight landed at Iqaluit, in Canada’s Nunavut territory when a malfunction in one engine triggered a shutdown. Passengers waited 14 hours on the plane until a replacement could arrive to take them to Los Angeles.
The remote airfield, serving the only city in Nunavut, was the nearest airport that could take a 777. Although the town’s population is only 8,000, the airport is an important cargo hub in an area where roads are often closed in winter.
After engineers arrived, they determined that the engine couldn’t be repaired on the spot, and a cargo plane was sent with a replacement. A heated tent was set up around the wing pylon to protect from cold and wind while the original engine was removed and the new one installed.
Photo: FrankReardon1/Twitter
-41 is a balmy day in the Arctic during the winter. But that number doesn’t include “wind chill”, which probably made it seem more like -60. Glad everyone was safe, though